Week in review.

Party Line

Phone, Cable Firms Form Joint Venture

The latest big splash in communications occurred last week, when four heavyweights jumped into the media pool together, although the ripple effect was unclear.

Sprint Corp., the third-largest U.S. long-distance carrier, linked up with three cable-TV operators to form a joint venture to provide nationwide phone service-local and long distance, wireless and wired.

The venture, which includes Tele-Communications Inc., Comcast Corp. and Cox Enterprises Inc., is the latest twist as industry players jockey for position with the federal government's December auction of airwaves for wireless communications nearing.